| "Josh if you got half as much paint on the wall as you have on you we'd be having dinner by now." She looked over his paint covered clothes, then let her eyes meet his face, which also had paint here and there. "Be nice, Bri, I could leave you to do this yourself." He turned his attention to the task before him, watching as the white wall became cream after a brush stroke. "Don't tempt me." She climbed up the ladder once more, not able to count the times she had done it before. "You're a bratt." He called over his shoulder, dipping his brush into the paint. "Don't make me get my brother on you." She chimed, happily recalling the fact that she now indeed did have a brother. "Like I'm scared of that little thing you call a brother." "You should be, he'll work you out to death." She ran her roller over the ceiling once more, then calculated the time they had left in the room. "So what is it tonight, Chinese, pizza?" "I saw the cutest commercial for this take out place the other night. I was thinking we could order from there." "What is it?" "Chilis." She smiled when he let out a sigh, showing he had gotten the joke. "Ha ha, really what do you want?" "How about chicken, that sound good? With mashed potatos and gravy, and biscuts?" She crawled down the ladder to run her roller through the paint, looking up at JC's back. "Sounds great." She watched him for a few seconds more, then shook her head to make the thoughts disappear. "Well, I'll order now, we should be done by the time the food gets here." She looked over the wall he was working on, figuring he could be done by the time she got off the phone. Thirty minutes later they were looking through boxes of food the delivery man had dropped off. Each making a plate for themselves, happy the room was done. "Great idea Bri, I haven't had chicken in forever." He set his ready plate on the table to wait for her to finish. "Thanks." She set her plate on the table next to his, then took his hand in hers. "You want to say grace or should I?" "I'll do it," he paused to glance at her to make sure she was ready for him to proceede. "Heavenly Father we'd like to thank you for this food and pray you let it nourish our bodies. We'd also like to thank you for the many blessings in our lives. In Jesus name we pray, amen." "Amen." She said nearly above a whisper, then cleared her throat, suprised at her own tone. "What are you thinking about?" He said a few seconds later when she hadn't touched her food. "I have no idea." She quickly took a bite of mashed potatos and gravy to ease his mind. "How's the recording coming?" "Good, we've really hit an all time high." "I heard the songs on the tape Justin gave me, I love them." She tried to continue but the shrill of the phone pulled her from the table. "Hello, Josh and I are having dinner, no not at all, what's wrong, Justin I know something is wrong tell me." There was a lengthy pause then Brianne threw the phone on the charger without saying good bye. "Josh, I have to go. I'm sorry." She made it to the door with JC a step behind her in a matter of seconds. "Bri what's wrong?" JC followed her out the door and to her car, while she pulled a jacket over herself. "Get in the car, I'll tell you on the way." She hopped into the car, started it and pulled out of the driveway, finally turning to JC. "Justin doesn't feel good." "That's all, that's why you are running out of the house?" A hint of anger touched his voice, showing he was slightly put off that he had almost been ditched because Justin didn't feel well. "He was almost in tears, said his stomach hurt. What did you expect me to do?" She slid to a stop at a stop sign, looked both ways, then pulled away. "Tell him to take some pepto." "Josh, if you had called me in tears because your stomach hurt I'd be rushing to your house." "I highly doubt that." JC mumbled, throwing a hand through his hair. "You're right, I would have gotten directions first." She tried to lighten the mood, then was rewarded when JC sighed then smiled. "No you're right, I'm being selfish." He slid his hand over hers then pulled it to his lips for a quick kiss. "It's not your fault, I'm irresistable." He chuckled at her sing song voice, then turned to look out the window. Before he knew it she was hopping from the car and running up the steps to Justin's door. "There better be something wrong with you Jay." He mumbled, then took his time walking into the very familiar house. "Oh, Justin, I am taking you to the hospital." She put the back of her hand to his forehead, then pulled it away quickly. "You have a fever and your very pale." "I don't want to go to the hospital, just make it better." He whined, pulling the covers tighter around him. "I think she's right." JC looked down at his friend then to Brianne where she was kneeling next to the couch Justin was on. "Come on Justin." She lightly pulled at one of his arms, tyring to quide him off the couch. "It hurts to stand up." Justin was already pushing himself off the couch, but threw in the information to show it wasn't an easy task. Something Brianne could already tell by the pained expression on his face. "Oh Justin, you look so pitiful." She pulled the blanket from the now empty couch then tucked it around his shoulders. "Thanks, I feel like a million bucks." Justin tugged on the blanket so that it didn't drag on the floor then started for the door. "You know what I mean bubba." "I do, and thanks for coming by." "Anytime, you'd do the same for me." JC looked between them, suddenly feeling like the third wheel with the two of them. "Let's get you in the car." JC held the front door open for them, and was rewarded with a peck on the cheek as Brianne followed Justin to the car. "I'll make tonight up to you, promise." She whispered, making certain Justin wouldn't be able to hear her. "Don't worry about it." He helped Justin into the back seat then slumped into the front seat. "Thank you guys, I'm sorry about interrupting you." Justin moaned from the back seat as he laid across it. "What are sisters for?" Brianne pulled out of Justin's long driveway then began on the road. "Yeah sisters, bubba, family.." Justin tried to collect the thought he was trying to express but instead his eyes began to close. "I know exactly what you are saying." JC teased, then turned to find the comment had been lost on Justin. |
| Chapter Twelve |